


Under My Wing

by A Magiluna Stormwriter (ariestess)



Category: American Horror Story: Asylum
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-20
Packaged: 2018-05-07 21:58:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5472137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariestess/pseuds/A%20Magiluna%20Stormwriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It is rare to be chosen to a role such as mine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Under My Wing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sweetcarolanne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetcarolanne/gifts).



> Thank you to my beta.
> 
> More notes coming soon...

There are roles within roles, worlds within worlds. Everything is connected in the inevitable cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. All beliefs, all paths, sacred or secular, funnel down into the same basic distillation of this cycle. It is the height of self-importance to think that any one person or species is more important than the rest. We all have roles that are important to the grand design of things. Only the greatest power of creation, God Himself, knows the exact extent to which one can change what was, what is, and what will be. Pre-destiny and free will are but two sides of the same coin. Often one will mimic the other without anyone knowing the difference. But if believing in one or the other allows them a measure of peace in their lives, who are we to take that away?

It is rare to be chosen to a role such as mine. I have been as I am for millennia uncounted. I was the first, the original, created to exist in that perfect moment of formation. Even as God chose for His children to live long and prosperous lives, there was always an end in sight intended. And that required my presence. Of course, there are others like me, all nearly as ancient as I. What is a day, or a decade, or a century, when your life spans the realms of immortality? Six of us in total, always ready to usher the next soul into the afterlife. We are drawn to our next soul in need by a simple call. If there are more than six at a time, someone must wait a little longer. It is simple and democratic; thus it always has been, and thus it always will be.

Only now, we have a seventh. And a very special seventh at that.

*****

"Play with me?"

"No, my dear. We must work now, but you can play when you've finished."

She frowns at my words, then cocks her head to the side curiously. Turning in a slow circle, her eyes search for the source of what she hears. A tentative smile replaces the frown and her shoulders hunch to frame her face.

"That's right, Pepper. You can hear her, can't you? She's calling to you, needing your help."

"I can help, and then we play?"

My nod brightens her smile. In the space between one heartbeat and the next, we appear in a hospital ward. A young woman lies in a bed, holding a newborn to her chest. The baby is tiny, skin still bearing the splotchy markings that only fade with the first hours of life. But for her and her mother, those hours won't come.

"We're here, Barbara," I say with a gentle smile. "We have heard your cries."

"She'll be okay, won't she?"

"Little Beatrice will be with you, my dear. Surely you understand that. The pregnancy and the delivery were difficult for both of you. You've called for me, just as Beatrice has called for my companion."

She stares at us in dawning realization before pressing a gentle kiss to her baby's forehead. "She won't suffer, will she?"

"It will be quick and painless for her, just as it will be for you, as if you've fallen asleep together. A simple kiss from each of us will guide you on to the afterlife. No more pain, no more fear, only peace and tranquility."

She nods slowly and presses another kiss to the baby's forehead before surrendering her to Pepper. A bright smile lights up my companion's face as she cradles the softly cooing babe close and strokes a finger over the downy hair.

"And now, Barbara, lie back and relax. Close your eyes and release your cares, your worries, your pain. Release the ties that bind you to this life. God will provide for you and your daughter in the afterlife."

Barbara nods and closes her eyes. Pepper takes a step back, still whispering silly nonsense to the babe to keep her calm. Wings flaring out in all their black glory, I lean in to bestow the kiss of death on this young mother. The moment she relaxes into death's embrace, Pepper's own wings appear, snowy white and not quite as full as mine. She whispers one more endearment to the babe before pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. Pepper holds her for just a moment longer, stroking her soft cheek, before she resettles little Beatrice in her mother's arms.

And then Barbara appears next to us, cradling little Beatrice to her chest. "It's over now?"

"Yes, my dear Barbara. You're free now from the burdens of this life. Follow us to receive your rest in the afterlife."

*****

"Will they all be like that?"

There are moments when Pepper's alien-enhanced intelligence still appears, but she is mostly still the sweet, innocent, microcephalic young woman wrongly accused of murdering her nephew. Clearly God has always had a higher purpose in mind for her.

"Some will, yes. Others will fight the inevitable, try to barter for more time or more chances. At least, that's how it happens with the adults. The children are always different, easier perhaps because of the very naiveté that they'll never outgrow. You bear that same naiveté, Pepper. It's why you are the perfect choice for such a delicate duty."

"Angel of Mercy," she says with a bright smile. "I help the children play again. No pain, no fear. Just peace."

"That's right, Pepper. You have the notable designation as the Angel of Mercy because of your connection with the children. You will never be marked for guiding an adult through the process. God has guaranteed this especially for you. Nor will any of the rest of us guide the children. The process is supposed to be peaceful and gentle. We cannot do that if we frighten them, can we?"

She shakes her head with a playful giggle. "No scaring them. That's not nice. It makes them cry."

"Exactly."

"But--" She pauses, teeth worrying at her bottom lip for a moment. "I know I get the children, but can I request to help Sister Jude? She was always good to me, just like Sister Mary Eunice was. Sister Mary Eunice died before you came to get me, but Sister Jude was always there for me."

"I cannot allow that, Pepper. You know that."

A frown dulls the radiant happiness she usually exudes. "Then, can I come with you? I know you were chosen specifically for her." She points up over her head. "He told me you were. He said Sister Jude is a special case."

"Yes, she is, but I can't guarantee that you can come with me. If you hear a call, you _must_ heed it. You know that."

"I do, but I can still hope." She starts to say something, but pauses and tilts her head to the side.

"Another child is calling you. Go do what you must, Pepper. Do you need me to go with you again?"

She stands and shakes her head. "I think I've got it now. Thank you."

And in the space between one heartbeat and the next, she vanishes.

"Go with God, Angel of Mercy, and do His bidding."


End file.
